Publication Abstract

A process-orientated approach to archaeological site formation: application to semi-arid Northern Australia

I. Ward and P. Larcombe

The environment is a key factor in site formation and artefact preservation or deterioration, through physical, chemical, biological and anthropogenic processes occurring within a depositional sequence. A conceptual model of site formation (dF/dt) is presented, in which the rate of site formation due to component physical (dP/dt), biological (dB/dt), chemical (dC/dt) processes, and anthropogenic processes (dA/dt) are plotted against relative sedimentation rate (dS/dt). The model is spatially and temporally independent, can be applied to a site as a whole and to its individual components, and may also have a predictive capacity. Environmental and anthropogenic processes that may influence archaeological studies in arid and semi-arid Australia are discussed and quantitatively applied to the model. This study highlights the need for directing future research towards more multidisciplinary research throughout northern Australia.

Reference:

I. Ward and P. Larcombe (200)3) A process-orientated approach to archaeological site formation: application to semi-arid Northern Austrailia. Journal of Archaeological Science 30: 1223-1236